When Daidoji Shihei discovered the Anvil of Despair, he kept the cursed artifact in guarded seclusion for several months before deciding what to do with it. He was unwilling even to report its existence to his lord, Kikaze, for fear that Kikaze might attempt to use the Anvil and be corrupted by its influence. For months, Shihei sought a means by which the Anvil could be destroyed, but found nothing.

When tensions began to mount between the Lion and Crane, Shihei made a fateful decision. The Daidoji have always sacrificed their honor for the good of the clan, but where is that line drawn? Shihei decided that he must use the Anvil of Despair and craft weapons that would prepare his clan for the Lion’s inevitable betrayal.

Soliciting the aid of a Tsi Xiao, shamed member of the Tsi ronin family of smiths, Shihei commissioned several blades to be crafted on the Anvil in secret. As Xiao worked the Anvil, the Anvil began to guide him, encouraging him to make blood sacrifices to temper the steel. Shihei complied, offering the blood of criminals in line for execution. They would not be missed, and perhaps in the end their lives might serve a useful purpose.

Shihei himself now wields Satsugaisha, the finest of Tsi Xiao’s creation. If he will risk the souls of the Daidoji to insure the future of the Crane Clan, then the first soul he risks will be his own.